miR-1254 inhibits progression of glioma in vivo and in vitro by targeting CSF-1

Plasma miR-1254 as a predictive biomarker of chemosensitivity and a target of nucleic acid therapy in esophageal cancer

This study investigated novel tumor suppressor microRNAs (miRNAs) that decrease in plasma and predict chemosensitivity to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and revealed their usefulness as novel therapeutic agents. We selected four miRNA candidates (miR-323, 345, 409, and 1254) based on the microRNA microarray comparing pre-treatment plasma levels in ESCC patients with high and low histopathological responses to NAC and an NCBI database review. Among these miRNA candidates, miR-1254 was more highly elevated in pre-treatment plasma of ESCC patients with a high histopathological response than in those with a low histopathological response (P = 0.0021, area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve 0.7621). High plasma miR-1254 levels tended to correlate with the absence of venous invasion (P = 0.0710) and were an independent factor predicting a higher response to chemotherapy (P = 0.0022, odds ratio 7.86) and better prognosis (P = 0.0235, hazard ratio 0.23). Overexpressing miR-1254 in ESCC cells significantly enhanced chemosensitivity to cisplatin through the transcriptional regulation of ABCC1 in vitro. Moreover, increased plasma miR-1254 levels by subcutaneous injection significantly improved responses to cisplatin in mice. Plasma miR-1254 might be a useful biomarker for predicting responses to NAC, and the restoration of plasma miR-1254 levels might improve chemosensitivity in ESCC.

Peritoneal Fluid Analysis of Advanced Ovarian Cancers after Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy

This study investigated miRNA and cytokine expression changes in peritoneal fluid samples of patients with advanced ovarian cancer (OVCA) after receiving hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) during cytoreduction surgery (CRS). We collected samples prior to HIPEC, immediately after HIPEC, and 24/48/72 h after CRS from a total of 6 patients. Cytokine levels were assessed using a multiplex cytokine array, and a miRNA PanelChip Analysis System was used for miRNA detection. Following HIPEC, miR-320a-3p, and miR-663-a were found to be immediately down-regulated but increased after 24 h. Further, significant upregulation post-HIPEC and sustained increases in expression were detected in six other miRNAs, including miR-1290, miR-1972, miR-1254, miR-483-5p, miR-574-3p, and miR-574-5p. We also found significantly increased expression of cytokines, including MCP-1, IL-6, IL-6sR, TIMP-1, RANTES, and G-CSF. The changing expression pattern throughout the study duration included a negative correlation in miR-320a-3p and miR-663-a to cytokines including RANTES, TIMP-1, and IL-6 but a positive correlation in miRNAs to cytokines including MCP-1, IL-6sR, and G-CSF. Our study found miRNAs and cytokines in the peritoneal fluid of OVCA patients demonstrated different expression characteristics following CRS and HIPEC. Both changes in expression demonstrated correlations, but the role of HIPEC remains unknown, prompting the need for research in the future.

LASSO-based screening for potential prognostic biomarkers associated with glioblastoma

Background

Glioblastoma is the most common malignancy of the neuroepithelium, yet existing research on this tumor is limited. LASSO is an algorithm of selected feature coefficients by which genes associated with glioblastoma prognosis can be obtained.

Methods

Glioblastoma-related data were selected from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and information was obtained for 158 samples, including 153 cancer samples and five samples of paracancerous tissue. In addition, 2,642 normal samples were selected from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) database. Whole-gene bulk survival analysis and differential expression analysis were performed on glioblastoma genes, and their intersections were taken. Finally, we determined which genes are associated with glioma prognosis. The STRING database was used to analyze the interaction network between genes, and the MCODE plugin under Cytoscape was used to identify the highest-scoring clusters. LASSO prognostic analysis was performed to identify the key genes. Gene expression validation allowed us to obtain genes with significant expression differences in glioblastoma cancer samples and paracancer samples, and glioblastoma independent prognostic factors could be derived by univariate and multivariate Cox analyses. GO functional enrichment analysis was performed, and the expression of the screened genes was detected using qRT-PCR.

Results

Whole-gene bulk survival analysis of glioblastoma genes yielded 607 genes associated with glioblastoma prognosis, differential expression analysis yielded 8,801 genes, and the intersection of prognostic genes with differentially expressed genes (DEG) yielded 323 intersecting genes. PPI analysis of the intersecting genes revealed that the genes were significantly enriched in functions such as the formation of a pool of free 40S subunits and placenta development, and the highest-scoring clusters were obtained using the MCODE plug-in. Eight genes associated with glioblastoma prognosis were identified based on LASSO analysis: RPS10, RPS11, RPS19, RSL24D1, RPL39L, EIF3E, NUDT5, and RPF1. All eight genes were found to be highly expressed in the tumor by gene expression verification, and univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were performed on these eight genes to identify RPL39L and NUDT5 as two independent prognostic factors associated with glioblastoma. Both RPL39L and NUDT5 were highly expressed in glioblastoma cells.

Conclusion

Two independent prognostic factors in glioblastoma, RPL39L and NUDT5, were identified.

The Value of miR-296 and miR-517c in Evaluating the Prognosis of Patients with Glioma after Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy

Objective

To explore the value of miR-296 and miR-517c in evaluating the prognosis of patients with glioma after radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Methods

732 patients with glioma were selected from January 2012 to January 2018. According to the effect of postoperative chemotherapy, the patients were divided into two groups: the effective group and the ineffective group. The serum miR-296, miR-517c, and clinicopathological parameters of the two groups before chemotherapy were compared. The factors affecting the sensitivity of radiotherapy and chemotherapy and the predictive efficacy of miR-296 and miR-517c on the prognosis of patients were analyzed.

Results

The expression level of miR-296 in glioma tissue was significantly correlated with tumor pathological grade and depth of invasion (P < 0.05), and the expression level of miR-296 in glioma tissue was significantly correlated with tumor pathological grade (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that tumor size, WHO grade, and serum miR-296 and miR-517c levels were all factors affecting chemosensitivity (P < 0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and AUC of serum miR-296 prediction were 76.95%, 89.64%, 85.35%, and 0.891, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and AUC of serum miR-517c prediction were 72.81%, 86.50%, 82.19%, and 0.739, respectively.

Conclusion

miR-296 and miR-517c are closely related to the chemosensitivity and prognosis of glioma patients. High levels of miR-296 and miR-517c can enhance chemosensitivity and serve as reliable indexes to predict the prognosis of patients with glioma.

miR-381-3p Involves in Glioma Progression by Suppressing Tumor-Promoter Factor ANTXR1

Accumulating studies revealed association between development of glioma and miRNA dysregulation. A case in point is miR-381-3p, but its mechanism in glioma is unclear yet. In this work, we confirmed that overexpressed miR-381-3p repressed biological functions of glioma cells. Additionally, we also discovered that upregulated anthrax toxin receptor 1 (ANTXR1) was negatively mediated by miR-381-3p. We further proved that miR-381-3p-targeted ANTXR1 was able to counteract the suppression of miR-381-3p on biological functions of glioma. We concluded that miR-381-3p and ANTXR1 were both important factors in modulating glioma progression. miR-381-3p/ANTXR1 axis is expected to be a molecular target for glioma.

CircCDC45 promotes the malignant progression of glioblastoma by modulating the miR-485-5p/CSF-1 axis

BACKGROUND

Glioblastoma (GBM) is characterized by progressive growth and metastasis. Numerous studies claim that the deregulation of circular RNAs (circRNAs) is associated with cancer progression. However, the role of circRNAs in GBM is largely limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the functions of circCDC45 in GBM and provide a feasible functional mechanism to support its role.

METHODS

The expression of circCDC45, miR-485-5p and colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF-1) mRNA was examined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell proliferation was assessed using cell counting kit - 8 (CCK-8) assay and colony formation assay. Cell migration and cell invasion were monitored using transwell assay. The protein levels of proliferation-related markers and CSF-1 were determined using western blot. The target relationship was predicted using bioinformatics tools and validated using dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. Animal models were constructed to verify the role of circCDC45 in vivo.

RESULTS

The expression of circCDC45 and CSF-1 was elevated in GBM tissues and cells, while the expression of miR-485-5p was declined. Downregulation of circCDC45 or CSF-1 blocked GBM cell proliferation, invasion and migration as well as tumor growth in vivo. In mechanism, circCDC45 positively regulated the expression of CSF-1 by targeting miR-485-5p. Inhibition of miR-485-5p reversed the biological effects caused by circCDC45 downregulation in GBM cells.

CONCLUSION

CircCDC45 promoted the progression of GBM by mediating the miR-485-5p/CSF-1 axis, and circCDC45 might be a promising plasmatic biomarker for GBM diagnosis and treatment.

Bioinformatics analysis of the prognostic value of NEK8 and its effects on immune cell infiltration in glioma

Glioma is the most common malignancy of the nervous system with high rates of recurrence and mortality, even after surgery. The 5‐year survival rate is only about 5%. NEK8 is involved in multiple biological processes in a variety of cancers; however, its role in glioma is still not clear. In the current study, we evaluated the prognostic value of NEK8, as well as its role in the pathogenesis of glioma. Using a bioinformatics approach and RNA‐seq data from public databases, we found that NEK8 expression is elevated in glioma tissues; we further verified this result by RT‐PCR, Western blotting and immunochemistry using clinical samples. Functional enrichment analyses of genes with correlated expression indicated that elevated NEK8 expression is associated with increased immune cell infiltration in glioma and may affect the tumour microenvironment via the regulation of DNA damage/repair. Survival analyses revealed that high levels of NEK8 are associated with a poorer prognosis; higher WHO grade, IDH status, 1p/19q codeletion, age and NEK8 were identified as an independent prognostic factor. These findings support the crucial role of NEK8 in the progression of glioma via effects on immune cell infiltration and suggest that it is a new prognostic biomarker.

Glioma stem cell-derived exosomal miR-944 reduces glioma growth and angiogenesis by inhibiting AKT/ERK signaling

In this study, we investigated the regulatory role of exosomal microRNA-944 (miR-944) derived from glioma stem cells (GSCs) in glioma progression and angiogenesis. Bioinformatics analysis showed that miR-944 levels were significantly lower in high-grade gliomas (HGGs) than low-grade gliomas in the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas and The Cancer Genome Atlas datasets. The overall survival rates were significantly shorter for glioma patients expressing low miR-944 levels than high miR-944 levels. GSC-derived exosomal miR-944 significantly decreased in vitro proliferation, migration, and tube formation by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Targetscan and dual luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that miR-944 directly targets the 3’UTR of VEGFC. In vivo mouse studies demonstrated that injection of agomiR-944 directly into tumors 3 weeks after xenografting glioma cells significantly reduced tumor growth and angiogenesis. GSC-derived exosomal miR-944 significantly reduced VEGFC levels and suppressed activation of AKT/ERK signaling pathways in HUVECs and xenograft glioma cell tumors. These findings demonstrate that GSC-derived exosomal miR-944 inhibits glioma growth, progression, and angiogenesis by suppressing VEGFC expression and inhibiting the AKT/ERK signaling pathway.

MiR-379-5p targets microsomal glutathione transferase 1 (MGST1) to regulate human glioma in cell proliferation, migration and invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)

BACKGROUND

Glioma is one of the most malignant tumors worldwide. This study was aimed to study the effect of miR-379-5p/MGST1 on cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT in glioma.

METHODS

RT-qPCR detected the expression of miR-379-5p and MGST1 in RNA level in glioma cell lines. Bioinformatic analysis was made to explore the associations between miR-379-5p and MGST1 while survival analysis was made with regards to MGST1 expression in glioma patients. Western blot analysis was applied to measure the EMT changes. MTT examined the cell viability. Transwell was used to detect the cellular invasion and migration. The binding sites between miR-379-5p and MGST1 were validated by luciferase reporter assays.

RESULTS

miR-379-5p expression was lower in glioma cells. MiR-379-5p increase inhibited the viability, migration, invasion and EMT while inhibition of miR-379-5p showed a reverse effect. MGST1 inhibition curbed the cell functions. MiR-379-5p targeted and regulated MGST1 expression. Lower MGST1 is related to higher survival rate.

CONCLUSION

miR-379-5p could regulate glioma cell viability, migration, invasion and EMT through MGST1, suggesting that miR-379-5p/MGST1 axis might function in the regulation of glioma progression.

miR-720 is a key regulator of glioma migration and invasion by controlling TARSL2 expression

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most lethal type of primary brain tumor and is characterized by diffuse infiltrative growth. However, the mechanisms that control this phenotype remain largely unknown. Emerging evidence has demonstrated that the abnormal expression of microRNAs and their target genes are involved in the migration and invasion of glioma cells. In this study, we demonstrated that microRNA-720 (miR-720) was significantly upregulated in glioma tissues and cells. Functional experiments showed that overexpression of miR-720 promotes glioma migration and invasion, while downregulation of miR-720 inhibits glioma migration and invasion. Meanwhile, we found that threonyl-tRNA synthetase like-2 (TARSL2) was a direct and functional target of miR-720 in glioma. Reintroduction of TARSL2 into glioma cells repressed the invasion promoting function of miR-720, whereas downregulation of TARSL2 reversed the anti-invasion function of anti-miR-720. Furthermore, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction results showed that miR-720 was inversely correlated with TARSL2 expression in 40 GBM tissues. Finally, in vivo experiments showed that miR-720 promotes glioma growth and upregulates invasion-related genes in nude mice. Overall, our findings suggest increasing miR-720 enhances glioma migration and invasion through downregulation of TARSL2, which may provide novel insight into the treatment of glioma.

MicroRNAs Regulating Cytoskeleton Dynamics, Endocytosis, and Cell Motility-A Link Between Neurodegeneration and Cancer?

The cytoskeleton is one of the most mobile and complex cell structures. It is involved in cellular transport, cell division, cell shape formation and adaptation in response to extra- and intracellular stimuli, endo- and exocytosis, migration, and invasion. These processes are crucial for normal cellular physiology and are affected in several pathological processes, including neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Some proteins, participating in clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME), play an important role in actin cytoskeleton reorganization, and formation of invadopodia in cancer cells and are also deregulated in neurodegenerative disorders. However, there is still limited information about the factors contributing to the regulation of their expression. MicroRNAs are potent negative regulators of gene expression mediating crosstalk between different cellular pathways in cellular homeostasis and stress responses. These molecules regulate numerous genes involved in neuronal differentiation, plasticity, and degeneration. Growing evidence suggests the role of microRNAs in the regulation of endocytosis, cell motility, and invasiveness. By modulating the levels of such microRNAs, it may be possible to interfere with CME or other processes to normalize their function. In malignancy, the role of microRNAs is undoubtful, and therefore changing their levels can attenuate the carcinogenic process. Here we review the current advances in our understanding of microRNAs regulating actin cytoskeleton dynamics, CME and cell motility with a special focus on neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. We investigate whether current literature provides an evidence that microRNA-mediated regulation of essential cellular processes, such as CME and cell motility, is conserved in neurons, and cancer cells. We argue that more research effort should be addressed to study the neuron-specific functions on microRNAs. Disease-associated microRNAs affecting essential cellular processes deserve special attention both from the view of fundamental science and as future neurorestorative or anti-cancer therapies.

BET degrader inhibits tumor progression and stem-like cell growth via Wnt/β-catenin signaling repression in glioma cells

Based on their histological appearance, gliomas are a very common primary tumor type of the brain and are classified into grades, Grade I to Grade IV, of the World Health Organization. Treatment failure is due to the cancer stem cells (CSC) phenotype maintenance and self-renewal. BET degraders such as ZBC260 represents a novel class of BET inhibitors that act by inducing BET proteins degradation. This study explores the mode of action and effects of ZBC260 in vivo and in vitro against glioma. By inhibiting cell proliferation and inducting cell cycle arrest, the fact that glioma cell lines show sensitivity to ZBC260. Notably, ZBC260 targeted glioma without side effects in vivo. In addition, the stem cell-like properties of glioma cells were inhibited upon ZBC260 treatment. When the mechanism was examined, our findings indicated that Wnt/β-catenin pathway repression is required for ZBC260-induced stem cell-like properties and tumor growth suppression. In conclusion, the growth of tumors and stem cell-like properties were inhibited by ZBC260 via Wnt/β-catenin repression, which suggests ZBC260 as a potential therapeutic agent for glioma.

The Protective Effect of Low Dose of Lipopolysaccharide Pretreatment on Endotoxin-Induced Uveitis in Rats Is Associated with Downregulation of CSF-1 and Upregulation of LRR-1

Purpose

To observe the effect of low dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) pretreatment on the expression of CSF-1 and LRR-1 in rats with endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU), and to explore the possible role of TLR4.

Method

EIU was induced by a single subcutaneous injection of 200 μg LPS. For the endotoxin tolerance group, the induction of EIU was preceded by a daily subcutaneous injection of 0.1 mg/kg LPS for five days. Clinical scores were graded at 24 h after EIU under a slit lamp microscope. HE stain was performed to observe the histopathology. The concentrations of IL-17, INF-γ, and IL-6 in aqueous humor were quantified with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Real-time PCR, Western blot, and immunofluorescence analysis were used to determine the expression of NF-κB P65 and the activation of CSF-1, LRR-1.

Results

: Low dose of LPS pretreatment produced a suppressive effect by significantly reducing the inflammatory reaction of anterior segment as measured by slit lamp and histopathology. It also significantly reduced the concentrations of IL-17, INF-γ, and IL-6 in aqueous humor and the expression of CSF-1 and NF-κB P65, while increased the expression of LRR-1 compared to the EIU group.

Conclusions

Low dose of LPS pretreatment can ameliorate endotoxin-induced uveitis in rats. This protection may be associated with upregulation of LRR-1 and downregulation of CSF-1, which is regulated by TLR4 signaling pathway.

MicroRNA-155-3p promotes glioma progression and temozolomide resistance by targeting Six1

The prognosis of glioma is generally poor and is the cause of primary malignancy in the brain. The role of microRNAs has been implicated in tumour inhibition or activation. In several cancers, the Six1 signalling pathway has been found to be aberrant and also relates to the formation of tumours. We analysed the database for expression profiles and clinical specimens of various grades of glioma to assess microRNA-155-3p (miR-155-3p) expression. The role of miR-155-3p in glioblastoma, cell cycle, proliferation, apoptosis and resistance to temozolomide was assessed in vitro through flow cytometry and cell proliferation assays. Bioinformatics analyses, and assays using luciferase reporter, and immunoblotting revealed that miR-155-3p targets Six1 and that the relationship between glioma and healthy brain tissues was significantly inverse. In rescue experiments, overexpressed Six1 revoked the changes in cell cycle distribution, proliferation and resistance to temozolomide estimated by apoptosis induced by overexpressed miR-155-3p. MiR-155-3p inhibition reduced glioma cell growth and proliferation in the brain of a mouse model and increased the survival of mice with gliomas. Thus, miR-155-3p modulates Six1 expression and facilitates the progression of glioblastoma and resistance to temozolomide and may act as a novel diagnostic biomarker and a target for glioma treatment.

miR-1254 inhibits progression of glioma in vivo and in vitro by targeting CSF-1

The role of miRNAs (microRNAs) has been implicated in glioma initiation and progression, although the inherent biochemical mechanisms still remain to be unravelled. This study strived to evaluate the association between CSF‐1 and miR‐1254 and their effect on advancement of glioma cells. The levels of miR‐1254 in glioma cells and tissues were determined by real‐time RT‐PCR. Proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, invasion and migration, were assessed by CCK‐8 assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, transwell assay and wound‐healing assay, respectively. The targeted relationship between miR‐1254 and CSF‐1 was confirmed by dual‐luciferase reporter assay. The effects of CSF‐1 on cellular functions were also assessed. The in vivo effect of miR‐1254 on the formation of a tumour was explored by using the mouse xenograft model. We found in both glioma tissues and glioma cells, the down‐regulated expressions of miR‐1254 while that of CSF‐1 was abnormally higher than normal level. The target relationship between CSF‐1 and miR‐1254 was validated by dual‐luciferase reporter assay. The CSF‐1 down‐regulation or miR‐1254 overexpression impeded the invasion, proliferation and migratory ability of U251 and U87 glioma cells, concurrently occluded the cell cycle and induced cell apoptosis. Moreover, in vivo tumour development was repressed due to miR‐1254 overexpression. Thus, CSF‐1 is targeted directly by miR‐1254, and the miR‐1254/CSF‐1 axis may be a potential diagnostic target for malignant glioma.